12219470

Method for Accessing Wireless Local Area Network and Terminal

PublishedFebruary 4, 2025
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method for accessing a wireless local area network (WLAN) implemented by a terminal, wherein the method comprises: receiving, from a first access point, type information of a first WLAN and first identification information of the first WLAN, wherein the first WLAN is of the first access point; sending a first message to the first access point when the type information indicates that a first type of the first WLAN is a type I, wherein the first message requests to access the first WLAN and carries a first virtual media access control (MAC) address, wherein the first virtual MAC address identifies the terminal, and wherein the first virtual MAC address is different from a device MAC address of the terminal; sending a second message to the first access point when the type information indicates that a second type of the first WLAN is a type III, wherein the second message requests to access the first WLAN, and wherein the second message carries the device MAC address; and storing the first identification information after detecting that the terminal accesses the first WLAN.

2

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: storing a correspondence between the first identification information and the first virtual MAC address; leaving the first WLAN; receiving, from the first access point again, the type information and the first identification information; and re-sending, to the first access point based on the correspondence, the first message.

3

3. The method of claim 1, wherein before accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: accessing the first WLAN; and sending, to a second access point and in response to accessing the first WLAN, a third message requesting to access a second WLAN, wherein the third message carries a second virtual MAC address, wherein the second virtual MAC address identifies the terminal, wherein the second virtual MAC address is different from the device MAC address, and wherein the second WLAN is of the second access point.

4

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type I comprises an open network, a WI-FI Protected Access (WPA) 3 (WPA3) enhanced open network, a shared-key Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) network, a WPA network, a WPA II (WPA2)-pre-shared key (PSK) network, a WPA3-PSK only personal encryption network, or a WPA2/WPA3-PSK compatible personal encryption network.

5

5. The method of claim 1, wherein before sending the first message, the method further comprises detecting that a correspondence between the first identification information and the first virtual MAC address is not stored in the terminal.

6

6. The method of claim 1, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a first interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a first identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, and a second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN; detecting, from a user on the first control, a first operation; displaying, in response to the first operation, a second interface comprising a second control using virtual MAC and a third control using device MAC, wherein the second control is in a first selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the first virtual MAC address; detecting, from the user on the third control, a first selection operation; displaying, in response to the first selection operation, a third interface comprising the second control and the third control, wherein the third control is in a second selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the device MAC address; leaving the first WLAN; and sending, to the first access point, a third message requesting to access the first WLAN, wherein the third message carries the device MAC address.

7

7. The method of claim 1, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a fourth interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a first identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, a second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN, and a second control of second identification information of a second WLAN, wherein the second WLAN is of a second access point; detecting, from a user on the second control, a second operation; displaying, in response to the second operation, a fifth interface comprising a third control using virtual MAC and a fourth control using device MAC, wherein the third control is in a first selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the second WLAN using the first virtual MAC address; detecting, from the user on the fourth control using device MAC, a second selection operation; displaying, in response to the second selection operation, a sixth interface comprising the third control and the fourth control, wherein the fourth control is in a second selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the second WLAN using the device MAC address; detecting, from the user on the second control, a third operation; leaving the first WLAN in response to the third operation; and sending, to the second access point, a third message requesting to access the second WLAN, wherein the third message carries the device MAC address.

8

8. The method of claim 1, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a seventh interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a second control of second identification information of a third WLAN, a first identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, and a second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN, wherein the third WLAN is of a third access point; detecting, from a user on the second control, a fourth operation; leaving, in response to the fourth operation, the first WLAN; and sending, to the third access point when a third type of the third WLAN is the type I, a third message requesting to access the third WLAN, wherein the third message carries a third virtual MAC address, wherein the third virtual MAC address identifies the terminal and is different from the first virtual MAC address and the device MAC address, and wherein the third WLAN is different from the first WLAN.

9

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the type III comprises a WI-FI Protected Access (WPA)-802.1x Enterprise encryption network or a WPA 3 (WPA3)-Enterprise encryption network.

10

10. A method for accessing a wireless local area network (WLAN) implemented by a terminal, wherein the method comprises: receiving, from a first access point, type information of a first WLAN and first identification information of the first WLAN, wherein the first WLAN is of the first access point; sending, to the first access point when the type information indicates that a first type of the first WLAN is a type II, a first message requesting to access the first WLAN, wherein the first message carries a first virtual media access control (MAC) address identifying the terminal, and wherein the first virtual MAC address is different from a device MAC address of the terminal; sending, to the first access point when the terminal cannot access the first WLAN, a second message requesting to access the first WLAN, wherein the second message carries the device MAC address; sending, to the first access point when the type information indicates that a second type of the first WLAN is a type III, a third message, wherein the third message requests to access the first WLAN, and wherein the third message carries the device MAC address; and storing the first identification information after accessing the first WLAN.

11

11. The method of claim 10, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: storing a correspondence between the first identification information and the device MAC address; leaving the first WLAN; receiving, from the first access point again, the type information and the first identification information; and re-sending, to the first access point based on the correspondence, the second message.

12

12. The method of claim 10, wherein before sending the second message, the method further comprises: accessing the first WLAN; storing a correspondence between the first identification information and the first virtual MAC address after the terminal accesses the first WLAN; leaving, by the terminal, the first WLAN; receiving, from the first access point again, the type information and the first identification information; and re-sending the first message to the first access point based on the correspondence.

13

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the type II comprises a shared-key Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) network, a WI-FI Protected Access (WPA) network, a WPA II (WPA2)-pre-shared key (PSK) network, a WPA 3 (WPA3)-PSK only personal encryption network, a WPA2/WPA3-PSK compatible personal encryption network, a WPA-802.1x Enterprise encryption network, or a WPA3-Enterprise encryption network.

14

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: identifying that a quantity of times for which the terminal requests to access the first WLAN is greater than or equal to N, wherein N is an integer; and identifying, in response to the quantity of times being greater than or equal to N, that the terminal cannot access the first WLAN.

15

15. The method of claim 10, wherein before sending the second message, the method further comprises: displaying a first interface comprising a reminder message, wherein the reminder message reminds a user to make a selection to access the first WLAN using device MAC; displaying a second interface comprising a first control of the first identification information and an identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN; detecting, from the user on the first control, a first operation; displaying, in response to the first operation, a third interface comprising a second control using virtual MAC and a third control using device MAC, wherein the second control is in a first selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the first virtual MAC address; detecting, from the user on the third control, a first selection operation; and displaying, in response to the first selection operation, a fourth interface comprising the second control and the third control, wherein the third control is in a second selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the device MAC address.

16

16. The method of claim 10, wherein before sending the first message, the method further comprises detecting that a correspondence between the first identification information and the first virtual MAC address is not stored.

17

17. The method of claim 10, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a fifth interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a first identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, and a second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN; detecting, from a user on the first control, a second operation; displaying, in response to the second operation, a fourth interface comprising a second control using virtual MAC and a third control using device MAC, wherein the third control is in a first selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the device MAC address; detecting, from the user on the second control, a second selection operation; displaying, in response to the second selection operation, a third interface comprising the second control and the third control, wherein the second control is in a second selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the first WLAN using the first virtual MAC address; leaving the first WLAN; and re-sending, to the first access point, the first message requesting to access the first WLAN, wherein the first message carries the first virtual MAC address.

18

18. The method of claim 10, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a sixth interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a first identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, a second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN, and a second control of identification information of a second WLAN, wherein the second WLAN is of a second access point; detecting, from a user on the second control, a third operation; displaying, in response to the third operation, a seventh interface comprising a third control using virtual MAC and a fourth control using device MAC, wherein the third control is in a first selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the second WLAN using the first virtual MAC address; detecting, from the user on the fourth control, a third selection operation; displaying, in response to the third selection operation, an eighth interface comprising the third control and the fourth control, wherein the fourth control is in a second selected state indicating that the terminal accesses the second WLAN using the device MAC address; detecting, from the user on the second control, a fourth operation; leaving the first WLAN in response to the fourth operation; and sending, to the second access point, a fourth message requesting to access the second WLAN, wherein the fourth message carries the device MAC address.

19

19. The method of claim 10, wherein after accessing the first WLAN, the method further comprises: displaying a ninth interface comprising a first control of the first identification information, a second control of second identification information of a third WLAN, a second identifier indicating that the first WLAN is in a connected state, and a third second identifier indicating signal strength of the first WLAN; detecting, from a user on the second control, a fifth operation; leaving the first WLAN in response to the fifth operation; sending, to a third access point when a third second type of the third WLAN is the type II, a fourth message requesting to access the third WLAN, wherein the fourth message carries a second virtual MAC address, wherein the second virtual MAC address identifies the terminal and is different from the first virtual MAC address and the device MAC address, and wherein the third WLAN is different from the first WLAN; and sending, to the third access point when the terminal cannot access the third WLAN, a fifth message requesting to access the third WLAN, wherein the fifth message carries the device MAC address.

20

20. A terminal, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to: receive, from a first access point, type information of a first wireless local area network (WLAN) and first identification information of the first WLAN, wherein the first WLAN is of the first access point; send a first message to the first access point when the type information indicates that a first type of the first WLAN is a type I, wherein the first message requests to access the first WLAN and carries a first virtual media access control (MAC) address, wherein the first virtual MAC address identifies the terminal, and wherein the first virtual MAC address is different from a device MAC address of the terminal; send a second message to the first access point when the type information indicates that a second type of the first WLAN is a type III, wherein the second message requests to access the first WLAN, and wherein the second message carries the device MAC address; and store the first identification information after detecting that the terminal accesses the first WLAN.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

February 4, 2025

Inventors

Qihang Chen
Peng Yang

Want to explore more patents?

Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.

Citation & reuse

Analysis on this page is generated by Patentable — an AI-powered patent intelligence platform. AI-generated summaries, explanations, and analysis may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL below. Patent abstracts and claims are USPTO public domain.

Cite as: Patentable. “Method for Accessing Wireless Local Area Network and Terminal” (12219470). https://patentable.app/patents/12219470

© 2026 Patentable. All rights reserved.

Patentable is a research and drafting-assistant tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Documents we generate are drafts for review by a licensed patent attorney.

Method for Accessing Wireless Local Area Network and Terminal — Qihang Chen | Patentable